Current video on-demand (VOD) systems typically provide a fixed collection of video assets for consumption by users. A head-end system stores these assets in one or more data storage devices, and provides a user with a list of available video assets. The user can browse through the list of available assets using various search strategies, such as by entering a keyword associated with a desired video asset. The user can purchase any video asset that matches the user's interests. The head-end system responds by delivering the purchased video asset to the user.
The data storage devices provided by the head-end system commonly store a relatively limited collection of available video assets, and therefore provide the user with a corresponding limited list of available video assets to select from. As a result, a user may scan the list of video assets to find that a desired title is not contained in the list. The system provides no provision for ordering an asset that is not provided on the list of available assets. If the user's purchase attempts are repeatedly thwarted in this manner, the user may become dissatisfied with the VOD system, and may potentially stop using the VOD system. The user's dissatisfaction also negatively impacts the commercial entity that provides the video assets, as the entity loses a sale each time a willing purchaser cannot find a desired video asset.
Accordingly, there is an exemplary need in the art for a more efficient and potentially more lucrative way of providing on-demand assets to users, such as on-demand video assets.